➥ x402 Revival: The Internet’s Native Payment System The internet always had a payment code called HTTP 402, but it was never activated. x402 finally activates it, turning the web into a programmable payment layer for both humans and AI agents. Everything you need to know about x402 in 30s 🧵 — — — ► What is x402? x402 is an open payment protocol by @coinbase that enables instant stablecoin payments over HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). It activates the unused HTTP 402 Payment Required code, originally meant for online payments. The name means “extended 402”, a modern version of the HTTP 402 code built for digital payments. With x402, websites, APIs, and AI agents can send or accept payments instantly without accounts or intermediaries. Core features: ▸ Instant settlement: Payments confirm within seconds ▸ Zero protocol fees: No base-level charges ▸ Blockchain-agnostic: Works across @base, @solana, @0xPolygon, and more ▸ One-line setup: Accept crypto payments with a single line of code — ► How it Works x402 works through standard HTTP requests and responses. ❶ Request: A user or AI agent requests a paid resource. ❷ Response: The server returns an HTTP 402 code with payment details in JSON. ❸ Payment: The user sends $USDC through an x402 facilitator like Coinbase. ❹ Verification: The server verifies payment using /verify and /settle endpoints. ❺ Access: Once confirmed, access is granted instantly. — ► Why It Matters The internet never had a native way to process payments. Developers depended on cards, ads, or subscriptions that were slow and expensive. x402 changes this with instant, usage-based payments between users, APIs, and AI agents. It removes intermediaries and lets value move as easily as data. It enables real micropayments, where users pay per API call or file instead of monthly subscriptions. As AI agents start transacting independently, x402 becomes the foundation for fast, programmable online commerce. — ► AI Agents and Adoption AI agents use x402 to pay for compute, storage, and data in real time. They also trade services in agent-to-agent marketplaces and power in-game transactions, where NPCs can buy and sell assets automatically. Developers use x402 SDKs in @TypeScript or @PythonPr and sign payments through CDP Wallet API or viem/ethers. Adoption in the last 30 days: ▸ 43,000+ transactions ▸ $50,000+ total volume ▸ 300+ buyers ▸ 190+ sellers — ► Ecosystem ➤ Client-Side Integrations ▸ @heurist_ai ▸ @thirdweb ➤ Services / Endpoints ▸ @AEON_Community ▸ @AurraCloud ▸ @onbonsai ▸ @firecrawl_dev ▸ @itsgloria_ai ▸ @neynarxyz ▸ @pinatacloud ▸ @questflow ➤ Ecosystem Infrastructure & Tooling ▸ @1shotapi ▸ @CoinbaseDev ▸ @daydreamsagents ▸ @fluora_ai ▸ @LatinumAI ▸ @mcpaytech ▸ @mrdn_finance ▸ @PayAINetwork ▸ @x402rs — ► Wrap-Up x402 revives the forgotten HTTP 402 code, creating a native payment layer for the internet. It enables instant, account-free USDC payments between websites, APIs, and AI agents. By combining open web standards with on-chain settlement, x402 removes payment friction and bridges the web with decentralized finance. As AI and automation grow, x402 could become the foundation for permissionless, instant payments across the internet. — CC - @jessepollak | @brian_armstrong | @dankimxyz